A Line in the Sand Against Beck

Watching the Glenn Beck show this past month, one might have assumed that Van Jones had assaulted Beck, insulted his wife, and stolen his kids' lunch money. Beck devoted time on a whopping 16 shows to crafting a distorted, despicable portrait of Van that few who know him would recognize. As political smears go, it was as serious as it gets.

But make no mistake: this attack was not about Van Jones. Beck, in league with big business groups, is seeking to derail the President's progressive agenda, and taking out Van became the vehicle for undermining clean energy and green jobs.

There was another, more personal motivation too. Beck was trying to change the subject from the previous week, when headlines were dominated by dozens of major advertisers dropping his show. Beck had no choice but to up the ante, and at the same time indirectly take on the group responsible for his shrinking ad roster. His distortions not surprisingly found purchase on other Fox News shows, spread to the mainstream media, and rather than let this circus distract from the relaunch of health care and the rest of the President's agenda, Van chose to fall on his sword.

In the fallout, one thing is certain: wherever Van decides to go from here he will be a force. But now that he has left the White House, it's time to change the subject back to Beck.

Why the boycott matters

There is no doubt that Glenn Beck has a big platform. But what supports his platform is advertising dollars, and that support is crumbling. To date, 62 companies have pulled their ads from Beck's show, including six new companies announced yesterday -- Aegon, Ashley Furniture, Humana, Luxottica Retail (parent of LensCrafters and Pearle Vision), United States Postal Service and Wyeth Consumer Healthcare. These aren't liberal activists wringing their hands over Beck's distortions. These are the bastions of American capitalism saying they don't want their brands associated with Glenn Beck's extremism. The only companies left are direct marketers (think Egg Genie and gold coins) and a handful of private companies headed by right-wingers.

The exodus of major advertisers makes a powerful statement about how far Beck lies from the mainstream. Which is why it's so important to keep the heat on. Advertisers walking away for a week or two is one thing. But as weeks turn to months, and Beck becomes increasingly isolated, it renders his rants permanently fringe. Why would anyone (the White House or otherwise) respond to someone whose views are too toxic for any respectable corporation?

A word on the boycott's origins

After ColorOfChange launched our campaign, some bloggers and reporters tried to discredit the effort by claiming that we launched the campaign to protect Van. It's an absurd accusation. Van hasn't worked with ColorOfChange in years, and our concern about Beck was far bigger than slights against a former colleague. We began our campaign for the same reason 180,000 people have joined us: Glenn Beck called the president of the United States a "racist" who "has a deep seated hatred for White people," which was just the latest example of his virulent race-baiting and fear-mongering.

A line in the sand

In the wake of Van's resignation, some have wondered whether kicking the Beck hornet's nest makes sense. I've got two thoughts in response. First, Beck and Fox trying to change the topic and counter-attacking with such force is probably a good indicator that we're getting to them; if anything, now would be the time to go harder. Second, I believe we have no choice. Beck has promised to take his witch-hunt to others in the administration, and has set his sights on Cass Sunstein as his next target. He has no plans to stop, and neither should we.

But it's not just "czar"-hunting that's at stake here. The right wing media machine, of which Beck is now one of the leading members, is the single greatest force standing in the way of change. They have already helped derail the conversation on health care, elevating accusations of Obama's alliance with the Third Reich to some semblance of credibility. And they will do the same to the upcoming debates over clean energy, immigration, and every progressive policy priority. We simply don't have the luxury of ignoring them. We must challenge them head on, expose their distortions, take away their advertisers, and position their views where they belong: far outside the bounds of any rational political discourse.

That is why ColorOfChange is redoubling our efforts to starve Beck of advertising dollars, and why we hope you will join us. The time has come to draw a line in the sand, not because of what Glenn Beck did to Van Jones, but because of what he could do to our democracy if left unchecked.

Comments

[centerdweller]

Hey Mr. Ruker, You better pull out your wallet because you have to pay progressives to stand up and do something. Call ACORN and the SEIU and hand out some money and put together a protest.

[ThanksMatt]

James, ColorOfChange: Congratulations and thank you so much for your work!

I am glad Beck lost so many advertisers and I wish the rest of the ilk (Rash, O'Reilly et al) will have the same fate in the very near future.

I don't know how to go against the monopoly of Murdoch. But one thing is clear: Monopolized media are a direct threat to democracy since media are one of the main pillars of democracy!
And something has to be done to address this basic principle. and protect democracy.

[bluizgirl]

Yeah, I agree, How about George Soros? How about General Electric?

[swimbiker]

I'm glad you brought that up. Tell us which media outlets George Soros owns? Tell us how Rupert Murdoch, a non-citizen, got a waiver on the number of media outlets that one person could own in a single geographic area.

Tell us how Rupert Murdoch is trying to subvert our democratic Republic. Because, you DO know that is what is happening, right?

[alexdog]

Yes how about GE. That would be the same GE that stands to receive billions from the stimulus package since they are the main producer of wind turbines. Or the same GE that their credit division received $135 billion from bank bailout funds - even though they did not initially qualify; just a little tweaking was able to remedy that.

[banh]

If Socialist, Marxist "down your throat, In your face, up your butt" government is what a person craves, then that person should relocate to a country which offers this type of "Utopia". Glenn Beck is doing those of us who refuse to be "managed" by "others", a tremendous service by exposing the redistributionist, government­-as-parent­, entitlemen­t-as-freeb­ie programs along with their propaganda wizards. It boils down to being self-sufficient or NOT being self-sufficient. Marxists buy into being "managed", "Beckists" don't. Sorry to inform, but INdependent people have a much deeper and more powerful "constitution" , pardon the pun, than DEpendent people. Glenn Beck is awesome!!! That's why it was called the Declaration of IN- IN- INdependence. How much brainpower does it take to understand basic freedom?? Mensa Shmensa

[Buddy McCue]

Man, that's twisted.

[Kalamama]

Fanned Buddy McCue

It's twisted and downright spooky. I hope we can bigin to dismatle these guys one by one.
Finish Beck..move on to Bill O, then Hannity, etc...

One by one, I hope we can bury them in their very own "special" sandcastle.

[swimbiker]

Well, in the first place, you need to learn that socialist and Marxist are two different things. Since you don't know that, everything else you write is suspect.

Come into the reality-based world with the rest of us who get our information from more than Rupert Murdoch's empire. If you don't, then, I guess you are dependent upon Rupert Murdoch.

[sleepingcobra]

Glen Bock said that he thinks "Obama has a deep seated hatred for white people."

That's pretty extreme, no?

[balmora]

I've had this discussion with coworkers who first point to the President's pass association with the Reverend Wright, who admittedly is a bit extreme himself, and then they point out Van Jones' involvement and arrest during the the LA riots. And of course the poorly "calibrated" remark about that police officer, Crowley. So it gives them a series of talking points. Personally, as an independent, I find the whole thing somewhat amusing.

[swimbiker]

But, Sarah Palin has been going to a racist, fundamentalist white church for twenty years, and nobody thinks that's showing a "deep hatred of black people", right?

If I sit in a pew and the Reverend goes off on a tangent, that doesn't make me have an "association" with the guy. It simply makes the guy responsible for what he says.

Guilt by association is not the same when it concerns white people, I guess.

[bluizgirl]

Oooh! What an extremist! Glenn Beck, happily married with children, believes in God, believes in the greatness of our country based on the Constitution, and has the integrity of most of you put together. Run, run, run for your lives!!!

[ProudLiberalDemocrat]

I think you meant to say, "Run from Glenn Beck's lies......"

[billhodges]

Very well said!!!!

[OdaNobunaga]

"Very poorly said!!!!"

Fixed that for you. There was a glaring logical inconsistency in your post.

[swimbiker]

If you think, from what Glenn Beck has said, that he has integrity, then it shows that you do not know what the word means. Pity.

[OdaNobunaga]

If you understood the Constitution at all, you would understand that all Beck wants to do is tear it down and replace our great SECULAR government with a theocracy worse than that of Iran.

[billhodges]

Really, that's a new one. Worse than Iran, interesting. I don't think I have heard of a Methodist suicide bomber blowing up people.

But even with that I find your comment difficult to believe, although the founding fathers did seem to be of a religious mind set, but certainly nothing like Iran's current government.

[balmora]

Secular government?? I'll remind you that we have freedom OF religion, not freedom FROM religion.

[GeorgeP922]

Definitely the funniest comment of the day!

[anticapitalist1983]

as long as the media is owned by the multinational corporations, we will continue to get crappy coverage biased toward their point of view, even if Beck "hates the media" (that he is employed by!).

for a real critique of media bias (towards the interests of POWER AND WEALTH):
Manufacturing Consent:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5631882395226827730#

support non-corporate media!

[sleepingcobra]

It really is baffling to me that we have a heavily popular T.V. personality in the year 2009 who is actually going on a communist witch hunt.

I'd like to just laugh about it like it's a joke, but it isn't. It's antiquated, dangerous and vile. Beck must be stopped.

[pissedmichael]

If we are to rid ourselves of Bec , we must first reexamine our mindset about his motivation.
We need to stop assuming that he believes anything he says, that he is less than intelligent, that he is a 'loon.' He is most definitely none of those things, though he strives to perfect that image.
No, his primary motivation has always been money.
He has just enough intelligence to recognize his own limitations, and maximize his limited assets.
Limitations? He has absolutely no propensity for honest research, let alone the ability for logical and rational interpretation.. What's left is deliberate fantasy designed to inflame his fan base--pathetically solicited by a man who knows he can't hide his true nature of laziness and mediocrity from anyone with half a brain.
His former advertisers gambled that he'd remain just sane enough in his 'dissertations', to limit his inherent offensiveness. They were wrong--though he possesses some innate intelligence, he has no sense for when enough is enough. He'll always go too far--he lacks a moral compass--being entirely focused on money and retaining his base. He'll step over the line because he has no idea where the line is, and even if he did, he would not understand its meaning or significance.
So. We've let him have his way for too long, assuming the outrageousness of his pretensions would bring him down. Nope. That is the way of thinking, empathetic, and rational minds--none of which occupy Beck's base.

[billhodges]

Beck does believe what he is saying and challenges the audience to prove him wrong. Why would he put out something he does not believe only to be proven wrong by his own audience, not to mention the people that oppose him.

[pissedmichael]

Because he knows that his audience will not challenge him. He merely tells them exactly what he knows they want to hear, which guarantees him that audience. The only time, in fact that I've ever heard of an audience member challenging him resulted in a hissy fit by Beck of gargantuan proportions--not even attempting a pretense of defending his position, but rather screaming like a girl for the woman to 'get off my phone.'

[billhodges]

Drawing a Line in the sand against Beck is interesting. I understand there is another video tape out today involving the DC ACORN office assisting the prostitute in taxes and buying a house to be used for prostitution. I thought ACORN said Baltimore was the only office that this happened in, which resulted in the firing of 2 ACORN employees.

When will the MSM wake up and do the investigation needed into ACORN/SEIU because there are just too many illegal activities being exposed with this group.

[dwillisno1]

Apparently you hate change except when it involves changing the subject! Please find an acorn thread or stay on topic.

[bluizgirl]

I think that it scares people when Glenn can actually show the truth about how corrupt the government really is. Now, he has tapes of ACORN at their cheatin' finest, but there are those of you out there who would say they are fabricated.

When did lying and cheating become so cool? People who lie and cheat can't fathom that there are truthful people in this world and their only goal is to tell the truth.

[ThanksMatt]

bluizgirl,

to figure out what is the truth you have to use common sense and the power of discrimination.

As far as I see you are more following the rightwing venom spitters than figuring out for yourself what is true and what is not.

(One simple thing to start with: How can the President be a socialist, a communist and a fascist at the same time? These 3 are 3 entirely different directions but seem to sound nice for the purpose to discredit someone.)

[bluizgirl]

I never called President Obama any of those things, nor do I think he is any of them. His ideas are a little too left for me and I believe that the people he surrounds himself with are too radical for my comfort. I believe that this is a fundamentally good country and I will support those who have the same beliefs that I do. I am always open for change--heck I grew up in the 60's, and at this point, I don't care for the Democrats, nor do I care for the Republicans (though I have voted Republican most of my life). I believe Glenn Beck is truthful because I have listened to him off and on for years. I don't follow him, I listen to his views--some I agree with, some I don't.

But, you see Matt, I have lived all over the country and one other country and I have lived long enough to see that our society has become less moral, less polite, and more devisive. My father once taught history and he told me that when a nation becomes devisive they fall. That worries me greatly...

[urfree2speak]

Look there are many , many ways that what you call on here as right wingers,ra­cist,loons­,etc.can hurt a person of color minority or inflict terror and fear on those that cannot speak up and defend themselves against daily oppression. Rouge police, out of control elected officials that "play to the base" (white people) Corporations that practise red lining and all manner of racial profiling against poor people and minorities. You can never have real "change" as long as we leave behind the poor and the oppressed, I admire the achievements of President Obama, they speak for themselves.....he is a part of history now.
However, when you speak to the 'a certain demographic like they are step children and there is no real enforcement of the current laws to prevent the open naked attacks against people of color and women...heck right now everybody that does not subscribe to this new hate mongering that is now the 'mainstream" There is NOBODY guarding the sheep, and the wolves are feasting!

[urfree2speak]

My first knowledge of ColorofChange came from the "Jena 6" problem in Louisiana, I signed up got emails solicitations for money and that was pretty much that. I am thankful for the efforts of Color Of Change..however ole. beckie was "honing" his craft on clear channel Houston ,Texas.

I sure could have used some real help in stopping beck then........when he referred to the good people of New Orleans as "pimps, drug dealers. welfare queens etc... I personally called Clear Channel radio, and worked hard to stop this kind of venom from ever reaching "main stream America" well I was one of few.
Now there are others that are being "groomed" by Clear Channel for just this same thing, and we sit here on this site ,sniffing, ans whining about this Glen Beck guy....
Progressives will NEVER..stop these guys , they are like roaches. I salute Color of Change, and support this group and its work, but there are many fires ,raging out of control, right now! and we are not prepared.

[ThanksMatt]

Thank you for trying to stop him in time.

We may never cave in to them no matter how many fires they are starting. Ultimately they will burn their own fingers.

[swimbiker]

Beck also said he "hates" the widows of 9/11.

[satanlite]

Glen Beck and all the Beckys are enemies of the USA.

[diamondgirl58]

If Glenn Beck was concerned about sponsors, don’t you think he would have backed down by now? It appears to me that he has become more aggressive with his assertions about the Obama Administration and the direction it’s going in. Which quite frankly concerns me, with Saul Alinsky as a MENTOR that should concern EVERYONE IN THIS COUNTRY! Van Jones was hired because of his similar beliefs and view that in its self is disturbing and needed to be addressed and still has not been. I support Beck in his search for the Truth.

[satanlite]

He's not concerned. He's got hte go-ahead from the top who aren't afraid of the loss of commercials on his show - they just shift elsewhere. No biggee t o them. Advertisers, if they are really going to make an impact, msut remove all advertising from FOX, not just his show.

[satanlite]

More disturbing are the legion of Becky's who can't parse what he is doing in a meaningful way. The same with people who think shrieking "YOU LIE" to the President of the United States is some kind of admirable action. There's no point in discussing things with Becky's - they don't have the capacity to understand whtat they are doing.

[billhodges]

There is one sure fire way to stop Glenn Beck, refute what he is saying.

If, as many say, he is lying and Fox is lying then prove it and they will be toast. Calling them silly names and making sarcastic and down right stupid comments will do nothing to further your position.

If on the other hand you can not debunk what Glenn is saying then maybe, just maybe, you should look at the information and consider that he may be telling the truth and there is a serious problem brewing.

It is that simple, so go out and post the truth to bring Glenn down and stop wasting your time on boycott because frankly they will not never work.

[BeVeryAfraid]

You know if half of you out there crying communism had looked at the previous administration the way you are looking at this administration, we would not be a dying nation right now. You missed the boat and now you decide that something is amiss because a Democrate is in office! That is why you are dismissed.

[Brian Beach]

Go After Hannity!

[earlyautumn]

I contacted ADT Security about their advertising on the Beck program.
They refused to do anything about it.
I cancelled my service with ADT, and switched over to APX Security.
I am immensely pleased with the change.
The equipment is Honeywell, but much newer.
Their services are better than ADT.

[pissedmichael]

Nice to note a pro-active poster for once. Most of us are content to 'talk.' Hats off to you, you deserve credit for acting on your views.

[centerdweller]

Wow, atta way to make a difference in the country. You will bring down ADT all by yourself wont you. You are like a one member protest, isn't that cute. Silly progressives.